2008/04/08

1.Man And The Blues, A2. I Can't Quit The Blues3. Sweet Little Angel4. Money (That's What I Want)5. One Room Country Shack6. Mary Had A Little Lamb7. Just Playing My Axe8. Worry, Worry9. Jam On A Monday Morning

A MAN AND THE BLUES, Buddy Guy's first solo album on Vanguard, ranks with B.B. King's LIVE AT THE REGAL as one of the touchstones of '60s blues. This is essential listening. Guy's guitar playing is a miracle of gracefulness and passion. His spare, liquid approach can be heard here at its uncluttered finest. Likewise, his vocals manage to marry some of Junior Wells' streetwise badass-ness (must've rubbed off after so many gigs together in the years leading up to this album) with Guy's own inimitable striving falsetto, clearly inspired by B.B. but definitely a thing of its own.

One could conceivably grouse that there's not a lot of difference between "Jam On A Monday Morning" and "Just Playing My Axe," but come nowà are these excellent titles or what? Guy comes through with four slow blues. "Sweet Little Angel" and "Worry Worry" obviously owe a lot to LIVE AT THE REGAL, but "One Room Country Shack" and the title cut show the territory Guy is heading for on his own. All this and Otis Spann on piano, too. Oh--and no, Virginia, Stevie Ray did not invent the first blues version of "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

1. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams2. Nowhere To Run - The Vandellas3. I Get Around - Beach Boys4. Game Of Love - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders5. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams6. Sugar And Spice - Searchers7. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams8. Liar, Liar - Castways9. The Warmth Of The Sun - Beach Boys10. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams11. I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown12. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams13. Baby Please Don't Go - Them14. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams15. Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead - Marvelettes16. Five O'Clock World - Vouges17. California Sun - Rivieras18. Adrian Cronauer - Robin Williams19. What A Wonderful World - Louis ArmstrongThe Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of "Good Morning, Vietnam" is exactly what you would expect it to be, a combination of Robin William's maniacal spiels as DJ Adrian Cronauer and some great music from the Sixties. The result is something not too far removed from what it would have been like to listen to Armed Forces Radio in the 'Nam way back when. The only thing missing are the announcements for staff sergeant so-and-so to check in with his command post A.S.A.P. The songs included here are not exactly what you would classify as anti-war songs, although certainly there is something ironic about "Nowhere to Run," "Liar, Liar" and "What a Wonderful World" in the context of the Vietnam War. There is also a nice mixture of big names, such as James Brown and the Beach Boys, with lesser known artists, like The Searchers, The Rivieras and Them. This actually gives this album a nice sense of authenticity because these are not wall to wall classic hits like we had with the "Forrest Gump" soundtrack. Of course you are going to get tired of William's comedy long before you want to stop listening to the music. The only question is when, but since we can program CDs to skip what we want, this is not going to be a major consideration. However, for all you Drew Carey fans, if you do not already have it, here are The Vogues doing "Five O'Clock World."

I knew this group was special ever since I heard UNFINISHED SYMPATHY way back in 1991 and unsurprisingly, they've only gotten better with time. Their hypnotic, dub-by grooves, known in the UK as trip-hop, is often accompanied by sweeping, elaborate string arrangements that lodge a big hole in your collective memory. It's no surprise to hear that Massive Attack sound as claustrophobic and menacing as ever before. This has to be of the most satisfying Greatest Hits packages I have ever bought--all their best singles, remastered to bring even more aural pleasure.

Ltd Ed is a little pricey, but worth the buy for three discs' worth of material. MASSIVE ATTACK IS THE COOLEST BAND IN THE WORLD!

For those who have seen her live, I'm envious. For the time being, I'll just play and replay "Senamou". I've always found her voice to be amazingly powerful, and yet just barely above a whisper. What kept me from giving five stars was "Pearls" -I would have preferred to have heard Carlos and Angelique separately, and Josh and Angelique on a song by themselves. However, this CD still gets my highest recommendation!

From the Artist...And on "Gimme Shelter," Kidjo transforms the Stones classic into an exuberant pan-national performance that nonetheless translates into a warning.

"This song means a lot to me," she says. "Look at what's going on: Fire is burning in our streets. Terrorists, in the name of God, are coming to destroy what we've worked for. If you don't give shelter to the people who most need it, if you don't treat them as your brothers and sisters, then what hope do we have?"

The contributions of stellar guest artists illuminate Kidjo's concept. By finding a place for their distinctive talents within the marriage of African and Western influences, DJIN DJIN celebrates the beauty of diversity as well as the unity of cultures that Kidjo achieves through her music.

These giants include Peter Gabriel on "Salala" ("He's done so much for African music; in fact, there's something African in his way of singing, moving, and writing his songs"); Alicia Keys on "Djin Djin" ("When she heard the Beninese drums in the studio, she said, `Wow, this is hip-hop!' She understood it perfectly - and she sang so beautifully"); Joss Stone on "Gimme Shelter" ("We're friends, so when I played her what we were doing in the studio, and she insisted on being a part of it, I was so happy that we could make this happen"); Josh Groban on "Pearls" ("He sings so effortlessly," Kidjo says, "and yet you know that it isn't easy to sing at that level of virtuosity"); Ziggy Marley on "Sedjedo" ("He understands so well the connections between the music of Jamaica and the rhythm of Africa - especially the gogbahoun rhythm that comes from my village"), Carlos Santana on "Pearls" ("He's not only a guitar player: With his guitar he sings, he dances, he swings, he cries - and he has huge respect for Africa"); Branford Marsalis on "Djin Djin" ("He's my brother! When he plays, you never know what you're going to hear or where his wonderful ideas will take the music"); and Amadou and Mariam on "Senamou" ("We go so far back as friends; it was a special blessing and a gift to have them on the album.")

1. Right Where I Belong2. It's Not Me3. Let Me Go4. Be Somebody5. Landing In London6. The Real Life7. Behind Those Eyes8. Never Will I Break9. Father's Son10. Live For Today11. My World12. Here By Me13. Here Without You14. Away From The Sun

Many people have stated that this is unlike the last 3 Doors Down CD 'Away From The Sun', in my opinion this is better with some very good songs on this CD. The evidence of maturity as individuals and as a band is shown in this CD a evolution as a group would go through. The album doesn't really pick up a gear until the 3rd song in the hitsong 'Let Me Go' which sounds like Creed and PJ sounds mixed together. 'Be Somebody' is a song full of important messages for people to be themselves and not what others want them to be. The weakest song in my opinion was 'Landing in London' with Seger. Just didn't appeal to me. My favourite song was 'Live For Today', excellent lyrics ina world going faster and faster day by day. Any fan of 3DD should be pleased by this newest CD from this pure rock group that has matured and will be around for some time to come.

The title is a bit of a ringer, since this isn't a collaborative effort in any way, shape, or form. Muddy & the Wolf contains a half-dozen live Muddy Waters tracks with backing from Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Otis Spann, the material culled from the Fathers & Sons sessions. The set also features tracks by Howlin\' Wolf from his London sessions with Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr. File under "just OK."